


Another Heaven

by ladymidath



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-23
Updated: 2004-07-23
Packaged: 2019-02-05 15:32:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12797361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymidath/pseuds/ladymidath
Summary: Now that Akex is living with Walter and Fox, there are plenty of adjustments that need to be made...for all of themSequel to Things That Lie Within Our Grasp





	Another Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

Given all the things that we have ever seen, is it too much

for us to see another heaven? Or perhaps...another hell.

Lady Midath

 

 

Adjustments

He could hear them through the bedroom wall, hot sweaty gasping, groans of 

pleasure, the slap of naked skin against skin.

 

Shit, he thought as he rolled over, pulling the warm quilt up around his 

shoulders. They have been going at it all night.

 

Finally the sounds of lovemaking stopped and Alex closed his eyes. Great, 

now maybe I can get some sleep.

 

He had been living with Walter Skinner and Fox Mulder now for nearly a 

week. They had picked him up from the hospital and taken him straight 

home.

 

He had slowly recovered from his injuries, and with the help of good food 

and rest, he slowly regained his strength.

 

Walter and Fox had made the trip to where Alex's rusty old Ford had been 

parked, by some miracle, it had not been towed away and they managed to 

salvage some of Alex's pitifully few possessions.

 

They left the car where it was, Walter later calling a car wrecking yard 

to haul it away.

 

Alex had been touched by the fact they had gone to all this trouble for 

him, after all, Walter and Fox owed him nothing. In fact it was him that 

owed them both a great deal, a fact that was not last on any of them. 

 

Alex could hear the gentle snores coming from the next room and he smiled. 

Who the hell would have thought it? The surly Assistant Director and his 

most troublesome but brilliant agent, setting up house together. Alex 

wondered what Dana Scully, Fox's partner made of all this.

 

He knew that he had had stunned when he had first seen them together that 

fateful night when he had accidentally chosen their house to rob.

 

But still, all that was in the past now, he was never going to wind back 

out on the streets again. He knew that his time here was limited, but he 

did not mind, he would stay as long as they let him. Eventually something 

would turn up, after all, something always did. Then perhaps he would be 

able to start his life over with a clean slate

 

Yes, he thought with a smile of satisfaction, as he drifted off to sleep. 

Things are starting to look up again.

 

 

*************************************

 

Fox and Walter were already up by the time Alex came downstairs for 

breakfast. The smell of bacon and eggs tantalizing his nostrils.

 

Walter was standing at the stove, cooking, Fox was rummaging around in the 

fridge, both of them were dressed for work.

 

"Good morning Alex." Walter said as he set a platter of crisp Canadian 

bacon on the kitchen table. "I hope you're hungry."

 

"I am, thanks." Alex replied. He sat down, waiting for the other two men 

to join him at the table.

 

Fox poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Alex. "Some thing to get you 

started." He said with a crooked grin. Alex smiled and thanked him, 

accepting the cup, sipping the hot rich liquid.

 

He watched Walter and Fox as they moved around the kitchen, doing little 

chores, smiling at each other, little touches here and there, warm and 

loving. Alex sighed and stared down at him half drunk coffee.

 

He felt like an intruder, an outsider looking in. He hated feeling like 

this, but then he realized that he should be used to it by now, after all 

this he had always lived this way... as an outsider, someone on the edge 

of life.

 

"Everything okay?"

 

Alex looked up, disturbed from his reverie. Walter was looking at him, his 

brown eyes concerned.

 

"I'm sorry?" Alex replied.

 

"Is Everything okay Alex, you've hardly touched your breakfast." Walter 

said.

 

Alex looked down at his plate, and at his half eaten meal. "Oh...right, 

sorry." He picked up his knife and fork once more.

 

"You looked as though you were a million miles away." Fox joked. Alex 

shrugged. "I guess my mind was wandering."

 

"So what are your plans today Alex?" Walter asked, more in an effort to 

make conversation, more than anything else.

 

Alex glanced up at the older man, green eyes sharp. "I want to start 

looking for work." He told them both. "Try to find something for me to 

do."

 

"Good idea." Walter replied. He picked the plates up and carried them over 

to the dishwasher, stacking the plates into the racks.

 

"But it's important that you don't try to do too much either Alex." Fox 

reminded him. "After all you are still recovering from..." He let the 

sentence trail off, not wanting to remind the younger man of his brutal 

rape and beating.

 

Alex swallowed and nodded. He knew that Fox was trying to be thoughtful, 

but for some reason, it still rankled. 

 

"I won't overdo it, I promise." Alex replied. Fox nodded, seemingly 

satisfied. 

 

"I'll clean up here if you both like, save you guys having to do it 

later." Alex offered. Walter gave the younger man a smile.

 

"Sounds great, but like Fox said, we don't want you to overdo it, you have 

to get plenty of rest, remember...doctor's orders."

 

"Okay, just a little light work." Alex replied. "I promise, there's no 

need to worry about me... okay?"

 

He saw Walter and Fox to the front door, watching as they walked down the 

early morning sunlit path, down to their car.

 

Alex waved as they left, then he turned his face upwards, enjoying the 

feel of the sun as it warmed his skin. It felt so good, fresh and clean 

against his face.

 

Then, with something like regret, he went back inside the now quiet house.

Old Friends

Alex finished vacuuming the carpets, then put the vacuum cleaner back 

under the stairs where it belonged. He felt a little tired now so he 

decided to rest for a while. He took a book off the shelf, it was one of 

his favourites that he had read a long time ago. The Shining. He liked 

reading stuff by Stephen King.

 

He curled up on the window seat, preparing to immerse himself in the 

sinister doings of the Overlook Hotel, when the phone rang.

 

He sighed, probably Fox or Walter calling to check up on him. He lifted 

the phone off the hook. 

"Hello?"

 

"Hi Alex."

 

He froze at the sound of the familiar voice. "What the hell do you want 

Luis?"

 

Luis Cardinale chuckled. "You know, when I heard that you had set up house 

with Walter Skinner and Fox Mulder, I didn't believe it. But there you 

are. How about that huh?"

 

Alex's hand tightened on the handset. "I asked you, what do you want?"

 

"Nothing at all, can't an old friend call and say hello?" He sounded 

aggrieved.

 

Alex drew a deep breath. "How did you find me here?"

 

"Wasn't that hard Alex, a few calls here and there." Cardinale chuckled. 

"Last I heard, you were living rough for a while, guess your luck had 

changed huh?"

 

"Look Cardinale, whatever it is you want..."

 

"I told you Alex, I don't want anything....yet." The implication heavy in 

the sentence. Alex bit his lip, then a sudden flutter caught his eye. Two 

sparrows outside, had started building a nest in an apple tree near the 

kitchen window.

 

"Are you still there Alex?"

 

"Yeah...I'm still here."

 

"Good, that's good." Cardinale replied. Alex closed his eyes, hating the 

sound of that smooth oily voice.

 

"Cardinale, just tell me what the fuck it is that you're after." Alex 

asked, almost pleading, Christ, how he hated this prick.

 

"I told you Alex, nothing yet, just calling to say hello, checking in on 

you, so to speak." With that, the phone went dead. Slowly Alex replaced 

the handset back onto the cradle, his arm felt like it was filled with 

lead. 

 

The two sparrows were fluttering near the window ledge, one of them had a 

piece of what looked like cotton wool between it's beak. Alex watched 

them, his green eyes filled with despair.

 

What am I going to do? He wondered miserably. What the fuck am I going to 

do?

Taking A Chance

"Well I think it's a good idea." Fox said almost defensively. Walter 

looked up at his agent, and lover, his face thoughtful.

 

"I never said it wasn't a good idea Fox, it's just that, will Alex go for 

it?"

 

They were both sitting in Walter's office, they had been going over some 

missing persons reports together. Some of them were quite a few months old 

now.

 

Suddenly Fox's eyes had lit up. "Walter, I have just had the idea of the 

century."

 

Intrigued, Walter had set the reports to one side. "What is it?"

 

That was when Fox had made his great suggestion, that Alex take up private 

detective work.

 

Walter had pursed his lips, thinking it over. Well, it might work, after 

all, when it came to covert work, Alex was an expert. The little rat could 

get in anywhere and not be detected, and there was always a call for that 

kind of work, runaway kids, testing security systems.

 

"We could suggest it to him tonight." Fox continued. "It could set him 

back up on his feet and hopefully back on the right side of the law."

 

Walter laughed at that. "Well why not, miracles have been known to 

happen."

 

"Great, we'll ask him about it tonight." Fox replied. Walter was pleased 

to see his sweet young lover so excited about this.

 

"You know, we are taking something of a chance here." Walter suddenly 

reminded him. "After all this is Alex Krycek we are talking about."

 

Fox grinned. "Tell me about it. But I think that maybe, he might be 

willing to give it a try."

 

"Well it has to be better than him living back out on the street again." 

Walter said softly. "And, now, back to these reports."

 

*********************************************

 

Alex sighed and set the book down after he had realized that he had read 

the same paragraph three times. After getting that phone call he simply 

could not concentrate any more. His mind had kept drifting back to 

Cardinale's smoothly threatening voice.

 

It was no secret that Alex loathed the ex Consortium assassin, he had no 

respect for the man at all. Not after they had been sent to kill Scully, 

and the stupid fool had killed her sister instead.

 

Alex had always been careful to make sure that the target he aimed for was 

the right one. But Luis Cardinale's style had been haphazard at best, and 

most times, downright sloppy, why Spender had ever tolerated the man had 

always been a mystery to him. And now he was back.

 

Suddenly the front door opened. It was Walter and Fox home from work. Alex 

stood up and walked into the living room.

 

"Hi there." He said as he watched Walter take his overcoat off and hang it 

on the clothes hook near the front door.

 

"Hi there yourself." Walter replied. There was no sign of Fox Mulder.

 

"Where's Fox?" Alex asked. Walter looked up at him. "Oh he'll be along 

soon, he had a couple of things to take care of."

 

"Oh, okay." Alex replied. He followed the larger man into the kitchen. 

 

"How does pizza for dinner sound?" Walter asked as he took a couple of 

beers out of the fridge. He handed one to Alex.

 

"Sounds good to me." Alex replied. "But what about Fox, he's not home 

yet."

 

"We'll save him some." 

 

Alex wandered back into the living room, drinking the beer, it felt good 

and cold against his throat. Walter called a pizza place and ordered a 

couple of pizza's with everything. He walked over to the t.v, switching it 

on to get the news.

 

"Pizza should be here soon." He remarked as he sat down. Alex sat down 

beside him, wondering if he should tell Walter about the phone call, then 

decided against it. Why stir things up now, no, he would wait, after all 

Alex thought, he should be able to handle a creep like Luis Cardinale on 

his own.

 

"So what did you get up too today?" Walter asked, setting his can of beer 

down onto the coffee table.

 

"Oh, I did a little cleaning up, read a little, not much." Alex told him, 

the lie coming smoothly to his lips. "I took your advice and just took it 

easy."

 

"That's good." Walter replied. "Oh, were there any phone calls at all?"

 

Alex reacted as though he had been galvanized. "Calls, uh...no, I mean, I 

don't think so."

 

Walter turned to look at him. "You don't think so?"

 

"I mean, no, there weren't, I slept for a little while today so if there 

was, I might not have heard it." Alex explained, mentally kicking himself. 

Christ Alex, get it together. He ordered himself sternly.

 

"Alex, are you all right?" Walter asked, suddenly concerned, the younger 

man had started to sweat.

 

"Yeah, I'm fine." Alex replied. The news is coming on." He pointed towards 

the television.

 

"Oh good." Walter turned his attention to the newsreader, an attractive 

blonde with the whitest set of teeth that Alex had ever seen.

 

He breathed a deep sigh of relief as Walter settled down to watch the 

news, that was close, he could not believe how close he had come to 

blowing his cool.

 

You have to stop acting like a fool. He scolded himself. You can handle 

things, just keep cool, that's all.

 

There was a knock at the door. "That'll be the pizza." Walter said as he 

got to his feet and walked over to the front door.

 

Alex drank the rest of the beer, waiting for Walter to return with the 

food, after a few minutes, he did. He set the pizza cartons down onto the 

coffee table, then handed an envelope to Alex. "This came for you, I found 

it on the front doorstep." He said.

 

Alex took the envelope, handling it gingerly, as though it were a snake, 

he was aware of Walter watching him closely as he opened the plain white 

letter, marred only by his name written on the front in bold black ink.

 

Dear Alex, I'll be in touch, your old friend. It was unsigned, but Alex 

knew who it was from.

 

"Alex?" Walter asked. Alex swallowed and plastered a smile on his face. 

"It's nothing Walter, really."

 

Walter's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who is it from?" He asked.

 

"I...I don't know." Alex lied. "It must be a mistake."

 

Suddenly the letter was plucked from his fingers. Walter read the simple 

sentence, then looked back at Alex, his face set into firm lines.

 

"What is this all about?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"Don't lie to me Alex." Walter replied, his voice cold. "You have been 

acting oddly ever since I got home, now I want to know, what's going on?"

 

Alex glared back at the bigger man defiantly. "I told you, I don't know, 

okay?"

 

Walter opened his mouth to reply, when the front door opened and Fox 

walked in. "Hi guys, oh great, you ordered pizza."

 

He walked over to where the two men were facing each other, both at a 

stand off.

 

Fox opened one of the cartons and took a piece of pizza out, taking a 

large bite. Then stopped, looking at the pair of them.

 

"Okay, what did I miss?"

 

"Nothing." Alex replied tensely. Fox turned to Walter. "What's happening 

here Walter?"

 

"I think that Alex is hiding something from us." He replied grimly. He 

handed the note to Fox.

 

"Shit." Fox said, then turned back to Alex, who had not taken his eyes off 

the older man standing in front of him.

 

"Okay Alex, spill it right now. Who is this from?"

 

Alex turned his vivid green eyes on Fox, his face pale with anger...and 

something else, Fox noticed, it looked like fear.

 

"Alex, I want an explanation, and I want one now." Walter's voice was 

firm, Alex could see that he would brook no argument.

 

"Luis Cardinale."

 

"Excuse me?" Fox was not sure he heard correctly. "Did you say Luis 

Cardinale...but I thought he was dead."

 

"No, he's not." Alex replied quietly. "He's alive, and somehow he's found 

me living here."

 

Alex filled both Walter and Fox in on the phone call earlier. "The trouble 

is, I don't know what he wants from me." He finished.

 

"Jesus." Walter replied, he ran his hand over his bald scalp, 

distractedly. "That's the son of a bitch that shot Scully's sister."

 

Alex nodded unhappily. "Yes, it is. But I don't understand? What the hell 

does he want? Why did he bother to track me down here?"

 

"Well, he wants something all right." Walter replied. "It's simply up to 

us to find out what it is is."

Night Thoughts

Alex lay on his back, staring up at the shadows as they chased across the 

ceiling. He had been lying in bed unable to sleep. Everything had been 

looking great, up until now.

 

Why had Luis Cardinale chosen this particular time to step back into 

Alex's life. He hated the man, hated the way he thought he could lord it 

over all the younger operatives. Alex had been forced to work with him 

several times. And it had been Cardinale that had helped set up the car 

bomb that had nearly killed Alex. The bastard was treacherous and 

downright dangerous as well.

 

Restlessly, Alex turned over onto his side. Outside, a cold wind had 

sprung up, rattling the branches of the trees. An ill wind. The thought 

turned lazily over in Alex's mind, like a slow song on a jukebox. "An ill 

wind that blows no good." He whispered, but what direction was this wind 

going to take him?

 

After a while, he closed his eyes, but sleep would still not come.

Conversations

 

"Well what are you planning to do about this?" Fox asked as he handed 

Walter his cup of coffee, they were both sitting in the kitchen, Alex was 

still asleep upstairs. Early morning sunlight slanted in through the half 

open window, a light breeze fluttering the curtains.

 

"Find Luis Cardinale and scare the living hell out of him so he stays away 

from Alex." Walter replied. "Look Fox, since Alex has been living with us, 

he's changed, he's seems to have come so far from the little rat bastard 

that he used to be. He's different now and I don't want anything to change 

that."

 

"I agree." Fox replied as he sat down at the table, nursing his own cup of 

coffee between his long sensitive hands. "The last thing that Alex needs 

is anyone from his Consortium days turning up in his life, especially 

now." 

 

"Good, then it's settled." Walter replied, his voice filled with firm 

resolve.

 

"I guess we will just have to shelve my idea for a while." Fox said, 

rather sadly. "Damn."

 

Walter chuckled. "Just until we handle this little problem first, then you 

can tell Alex about your idea, although picturing him as a private 

detective..." He shook his head, grinning at the thought.

 

"I don't know, he could be another Sam Spade." Fox replied. Then doing his 

best Bogart, he said. "Here's looking at you kid."

 

Walter looked at him, exasperated. "That's Casablanca, not The Maltese 

Falcon."

 

Fox shrugged. "Whatever." He lifted the cup to his lips, carefully sipping 

the hot black liquid. Then suddenly he said. "He really has changed, 

hasn't he."

 

"Alex? yes I think he has." Walter replied, his face had taken on a 

serious expression now.

 

"I don't know if it's because he's no longer working for Spender and the 

rest of those bastards, or maybe it was through living on the streets, or 

maybe it might have had something to do with him being brutalized and 

winding up in hospital, too be perfectly honest, I'm not sure, but yes, I 

think is some fundamental way, he has changed and that is why I think we 

need to protect him."

 

Alex stood at the bottom of the stairs, his hand still lightly touching 

the polished wood of the bannister. He had woken up and decided to come 

down stairs for a glass of water and had overheard Walter and Fox talking. 

He bit his lower lip, tears glimmering at the corners of his eyes. Protect 

him, from a man like Cardinale? He doubted that was possible, Cardinale 

was a cold blooded killer. Just like you are Alex. A little voice piped up 

inside his head.

 

I can't let them do this. He thought suddenly. I can't allow them to put 

themselves in the line of fire for me, it's not right....it's not fair, 

this is my mess and it's up to me to clean it up.

 

With that, he turned and went back upstairs.

A Note On The Door

Walter sat in his office, phone in hand. It was getting late and he was 

tired. He had placed several calls to old friends, people that owed him a 

favour or two. It had been hard work, but he thought he had finally 

tracked down a lead on Luis Cardinale. It would be a pleasure to bust that 

little bastard, for Scully's sister if nothing else. He was not an easy 

man to track down though. The FBI database did not have anything on him at 

all, it was almost as though the man did not exist.

 

Still Walter sensed he was getting close, and that was enough for him.

 

There was a knock at the door, and Fox entered. "How's it going?"

 

"I think I may have something, but I'm not sure." Walter replied. 

"Cardinale seems to be dammed good at covering his tracks."

 

Fox smiled humourlessly. "That's how these guys survive Walter, you know 

that. They hide in the dark, down in the sewers, like rats, avoiding the 

light."

 

Walter glanced up at his agent, his eyes astute. "Sound like someone we 

know."

 

Fox shrugged. "That was the life he used to live." He pointed a finger 

towards the ceiling. "Emphasis on the past tense there."

 

Walter sighed and stood up. "Well, ready to go home?" It had been a long 

day. Fox nodded. "Ready when you are boss."

 

 

*****************************

 

"I think I'll cook us some steaks tonight, how does that sound?" Walter 

said as he drove the car towards their neighborhood. 

 

"Sounds good to me." Fox replied. He yawned and shook his head, trying to 

shake off the sudden weariness that seemed to envelope him.

 

"You okay baby?" Walter reached out to stroke the younger man's dark clad 

thigh. Fox smiled, enjoying the touch of the older man's fingers as they 

moved down to play across his knee.

 

"Are you trying to seduce me Sir?" He asked, his hazel eyes twinkling. 

Walter laughed, a deep pleasant sound that Fox had grown to love.

 

"I might be." Walter replied lightly. He risked a quick glanced at the 

incredible creature sitting dressed in a dark Armani suit beside him.

 

"Well, I have to tell you, it's beginning to work."

 

Walter pulled the car into the front entrance of the locked housing 

estate. The guard waved them through, and soon they were parked in the 

front driveway of their house.

 

Walter keyed the front door open and walked in. The house was quiet, 

usually Alex would be sitting in front of the television, or curled up 

like a cat in his favourite spot on the window seat reading a book, but he 

was nowhere around.

 

"That's odd, he must be upstairs asleep." Walter said. Fox glanced at him. 

"He might have gone out for a little while."

 

"Yeah maybe." Walter replied. "But he hasn't got a key to the door, why 

would he lock it if he couldn't get back in again?"

 

Fox threw Walter a look. "This is Alex Krycek we are talking about. I 

don't think a locked front door would present much of a problem, after all 

he did break in here a few weeks ago and tried to rob the place, 

remember?"

 

Walter sighed. "How could I forget." he took his overcoat off and hung it 

in it's usual spot.

 

"Now, for those streaks." He headed to the kitchen. 

 

"I'm going to go upstairs and grab a shower." Fox said as he hung his own 

coat up.

 

"Fox...get in here!"

 

The younger man jumped at the urgency in Walter's voice. Without thinking, 

he dashed into the kitchen.

 

"What is it?"

 

Wordlessly, Walter handed him a note, it had been left hanging by a magnet 

on the fridge door.

 

Dear Walter and Fox...

I have decided that this mess with Cardinale is mine and mine alone. I 

have to deal with this, once and for all so that I might have a chance at 

having a normal life. I am sorry that I did not tell you this in person, 

but I know that you would have tried to stop me. Please don't go looking 

for me. I will call you when it's all over, and if you don't hear from me, 

then it means that Cardinale won after all.

Thank you both for everything, I hope that I might be able to return one 

day. Yours Alex.

 

"Jesus Christ, that crazy...he's going to get himself dammed well killed!" 

Walter exploded. Fox sighed and rubbed his hand across his forehead. "He 

must have overheard us when we were talking this morning....shit." he spat 

the last word out furiously.

 

"I just can't believe Alex has taken off after Luis Cardinale on his own, 

he knows how dangerous that son of a bitch is...he knows, and he did not 

even bother to tell us he was going. That little shit!"

 

"It says on the note that he didn't tell us because we would only try and 

stop him." Fox pointed out. 

 

"Stop him." Walter almosted shouted, livid now. "Of course I would have 

stopped him, I would have handcuffed him to the bed If I had too."

 

"What do we do now?" Fox asked. Walter sighed, then said suddenly. "I got 

a lead on Cardinale today, one of my contacts saw him at the Royale 

Hotel."

 

Fox knew the place that Walter was talking about, a rather dingy hotel in 

the rougher section of town.

 

"You think you might find him there?" Fox asked.

 

"It's worth a shot." Walter replied grimly. "And hopefully we'll be able 

to find Cardinale before Alex does. Come on."

 

Fox followed the larger man out of the house, he wondered what Walter was 

going to do if he did find Alex. Probably tear the poor little bastard a 

new one. He thought as he climbed into the car. Suddenly he did not know 

who he felt sorrier for, Luis Cardinale, or Alex Krycek.

Sins Of The Past

Alex sat at the bar, shoulders hunched over. He had been there now for a 

couple of hours, waiting for Cardinale to show up.

 

A couple of phone calls to some old contacts had led him here. Cardinale 

was supposedly staying in one of the dingy hotels across the street, he 

came in here every afternoon for a couple of beers, and sometimes a game 

of pool.

 

The bartender, a hugely fat man moved over to where Alex was sitting. 

"Another beer buddy?"

 

"Yeah, why not." Alex replied. He handed the bartender a couple of note. 

The bartender took it with a grunt, then went to pour the beer.

 

Over in the corner of the dingy bar, one of the other customers pushed 

some buttons on the juke box, an old song began to play.

 

Looking out of my lonely room, day after day,

Bring it home baby, make it soon,

I give my love to you....

 

Alex listened to the words, the velvet chords of the guitar washing over 

him. He sipped the beer, keeping one eye on the front door of the bar. A 

couple of women walked in, thigh high mini skirts, clinging to well shaped 

legs. One of the a tall blonde looked Alex up and down, obviously sizing 

the good looking young man up.

 

She leaned over and said something to her friend to broke into a fit of 

giggling. Alex's face reddened and he turned away, the last thing he 

wanted now was to draw attention to himself.

 

"Hi there, get you your usual?" The bartender said to someone who had just 

walked up to the bar.

 

"Yeah, that would be great." 

 

Alex shot a glance at the stocky figure standing just a couple of feet 

away. It was Luis Cardinale, and he had not seen Alex yet.

 

Alex smoothly got to his feet and walked over to where the other man was 

standing, fists clenched at his sides.

 

"Hi Luis, long time huh buddy."

 

Cardinale spun around, his face darkening. "Alex." He replied his voice 

cold. "What an unexpected surprise."

 

"Really, that's strange, considering the phone call, and the note that you 

left me" Alex replied, a small smile quirking the edges of his mouth.

 

Cardinale shrugged. "A little...incentive, that was all." He chuckled. 

"After all, we are old friends aren't we."

 

Alex's eyes flickered darkly. "Sure, sure we are."

 

"How about we sit down, have a drink together, you know....catch up on old 

times."

 

"Yeah, sure." Alex replied. "Why not."

 

He followed the other man over to a booth set against the dark panelled 

wall, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his jacket, fingering the gun 

that he had taken from Walter's desk. The gun that he found accidently 

when he had been looking for a pen to write the note that he had left them 

that morning.

 

 

*********************************

 

"There it is." Walter said as he pulled the car up out of the front the 

Royale Hotel. It sat, squat and grubby looking between and adult bookshop 

and a XXX theatre. Walter carefully locked the car up and he and Fox 

climbed the cracked steps to the front entrance.

 

A small weedy looking man was sitting behind the counter reading a 

newspaper. Walter flashed his badge.

 

"How can I help you folks then?" The hotel manager asked, folding the 

paper and laying it on the counter.

 

"I believe you have someone staying here possibly under the name of Luis 

Cardinale." Walter told him.

 

The manager shrugged. "Maybe, we get a few people here, mostly just 

passing through."

 

"I would like to have a look at your hotel registry book if you don't 

mind." Walter replied.

 

The manager shrugged and pushed a large book towards him. Walter ran his 

finger down the line of names, stopping half way down the page.

 

There it was Luis Cardinale, he was staying in room sixteen.

 

"Do you know if he is in right now?" Fox asked. The manager shook his 

head. "Nah, he went out... about an hour ago, went across the street to 

the bar over there. Goes there just about every day."

 

"Great, thank you." Walter and Fox turned and hurried out of the dingy 

hotel lobby, leaving the manager shaking his head and shaking his paper 

back out again.

 

 

******************************

 

"So Luis, what is it you want from me?" Alex asked. "Is it money, because 

I don't have any."

 

Cardinale laughed and shook his head. "No Alex, I don't want money, I 

don't need money, I have some business interests going and that's looking 

after me just fine. No, it is more along the lines of a job offer 

actually."

 

"What kind of a job?" Alex asked warily. Cardinale shrugged, then picked 

up his beer, taking a drink.

 

"A little debt collecting work, that's all."

 

"You into loan sharking now Luis?" Alex asked, almost amused. 

 

"Well a man has to make a living, and now that the Consortium's gone...

 

Alex shook his head. "Well thanks but no thanks."

 

"Hey don't brush it off that quick kid, you could make good money, get a 

nice place of your own instead of having to play house with two queers."

 

Colour flushed Alex's cheeks as he felt a cold fury sweep through him. 

"Walter and Fox took me in when I had no where else to go." He replied 

heatedly. "They have been letting me stay with them while I get back up on 

my feet, that's all there is to it."

 

Cardinale laughed and put both his hands up. "Whoa, hey if you don't mind 

living with a couple of FBI fags, that's no business of mine, all I'm 

doing here is offering you some work. Nothing to difficult, just some 

protection, some debt collecting, that sort of stuff. Hey, I figure it's 

right up your alley."

 

"I told you I'm not interested and another thing Cardinale, you stay the 

hell away from me, and from Walter Skinner and Fox Mulder...you got it."

 

"Now you listen here you little shit." Cardinale got to his feet, then 

felt a hand descend on his shoulder.

 

"Hi, is this a private conversation, or can anyone join in?" Walter asked, 

then spun Cardinale around to face him. The smaller man looked up at the 

extremely pissed off Assistant Director and swallowed hard.

 

"Walter...Fox? What the hell are you both here?" Alex cried. Walter looked 

at the younger man, his brown eyes spitting sparks behind his glasses.

 

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same question." Then he turned back to 

Cardinale, who was squirming in the larger man's grasp.

 

"Now would someone care to tell me what the hell is going on?"

 

"Let me go, you son of a bitch." Cardinale snapped, he tried to pull away 

from Walter's grip, but his efforts were futile.

 

Walter smiled down at the struggling man a feral expression on his face, 

Cardinale abruptly stopped, he felt sudden panic twist through his 

stomach. Suddenly he realized what an utterly dangerous man the Assistant 

Director really was.

 

"Hey listen." He said, holding both his hands up. "I don't want no trouble 

okay." He stared wildly at each of the FBI agents, his eyes wide with 

fear, a trickle of sweat ran down his broad face.

 

"Hey, what the fuck is going on here?" The bartender had finally noticed 

the litle drama that was playing out near one of the booths. He hurried 

over as quickly as his bulk would allow. A thunderous expression on his 

plump unshaven face.

 

Walter turned to face him, the look on his face stopping the man dead in 

his tracks.

 

"There's no problem here, is there?" He replied, giving Cardinale a slight 

shake. Cardinale's eyes widened even more, they looked as though they were 

going to fall right out of their sockets.

 

"N...no, no, everything's fine." He let out a high pitched giggle of pure 

fright.

 

The bartender stared at first Cardinale, then Walter. Mentally he decided 

that this was not something that he wanted to get mixed up in, after all, 

he didn't even know the little bastard that well. No this was nothing to 

do with him.

 

"You guys have a problem, take it outta here, got it?"

 

Walter's smile widened. "Not a problem." With that, he hauled Cardinale 

towards the front door of the bar, aware that all eyes were on him. Fox 

and Alex bringing up the rear.

 

Once outside, he dragged the hapless man into a nearby alley and landed a 

punch to the other man's stomach that doubled him over.

 

"Jesus fucking H Christ." Cardinale spluttered, he winced painfully as 

Walter grabbed him by the back of the collar and hauled him back up again.

 

"Now it seems that we have a little problem here doesn't it." Walter said 

as Cardinale gasped, trying to get his breath back. He suddenly dived his 

hand in Cardinale's coat pockets, checking for weapons. He pulled out a 

small but deadly looking hand gun.

 

"Now now, what do we have here." He handed the gun over to Fox who took 

it.

 

"Bastard, that's mine, give it back." The smaller man spluttered. Walter 

chuckled. "I don't think so, you slimy little piece of shit." He replied. 

"Now, here's the thing, I am going to let you out of here in one piece on 

your word that you don't come anywhere Alex ever again."

 

"Yeah, yeah...whatever, just fucking well let me go, okay?" Cardinale was 

sweating freely now, still dangling from the larger man's grasp.

 

Walter dragged Cardinale up so close that their faces were almost 

touching. "Now let me make this as clear as I possibly can." He said, his 

voice low and menacing. He was gratified to see the other man cringe.

 

"If you ever come near Alex...or our house ever again the only way they 

will ever be able to identify your corpse will be through dental records, 

now do I have your absolute understanding on this."

 

Cardinale nodded his head, desperate to get away now. Satisfied, Walter 

let the other man drop.

 

Cardinale stumbled, then got to his feet, backing away, his face pale and 

slicked with sweat.

 

Walter took a menacing step towards him. "Right, now get lost."

 

Without needing any further encouragement, Cardinale took to his heels and 

fled.

 

The three of them watched him go, then Fox turned to Walter. "Why did you 

let him go, he was the prick that killed Scully's sister."

 

Walter sighed, suddenly he looked very tired. "We know that Fox, but how 

the hell do we prove it? We didn't have a warrant or anything. His lawyer 

would have been able to spring him and the little bastard would have 

walked away scot free."

 

Fox nodded reluctantly, then he turned to Alex. "Are you okay?" He asked, 

Alex could see the concern in the other man's eyes.

 

"Yeah, I'm okay I guess." He replied. 

 

"That's good Alex, real good as a matter of fact." Walter said grimly. 

"Because we have quite a few things to discuss when we get back home."

Ground Rules

The drive home was silent, Alex sat in the back seat wondering just how 

angry Fox and Walter were with him. They would more than likely kick him 

out onto the street. He sighed and stared out of the window, looking out 

at the passing buildings, wondering where he was going to go now.

 

I don't want to leave. The thought hit him like ice, Alex closed his eyes. 

It was the truth, he liked it where he was. Oh he always knew that it was 

not a permanent arrangement and he accepted that, but the truth was, he 

was comfortable living with Walter and Fox...and now through his own 

thoughtless impulsive actions, it was all over.

 

Unbidden tears pricked and the corners of his eyes and his bit his lower 

lip, unwilling to admit the hurt and despair that suddenly threatened to 

overwhelm him.

 

Walter pulled the car into the gated community and soon they were pulling 

up into the driveway.

 

Alex slowly climbed out of the car, a sudden whirring motion caught his 

eye. The sparrows were fluttering around the apple tree. Still building 

your nest little guys. He thought sadly. Well I hope you guys have better 

luck than I have.

 

"Coming inside Alex?"

 

The younger man looked up unhappily, both Walter and Fox were standing on 

the front porch, waiting for him.

 

"I'm coming." He mounted the steps like a man going to his doom.

 

 

*************************** 

 

Walter set the mug of coffee down in front of Alex, then took his seat at 

the kitchen table.

 

Slowly Alex stirred his coffee, carefully avoiding Walter and Fox's eyes.

 

"Do you want to tell me what the hell you thought you were doing back 

there Alex?" Walter asked.

 

Alex lifted his head to face the older man, he expected to see anger in 

those deep brown eyes, but instead he saw concern instead.

 

"I...I don't know what to say to you." he replied softly. Walter regarded 

him for a moment, then sighed and shook his head.

 

"Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?"

 

Alex shook his head and stared down at his coffee once more.

 

"You had both Fox and I out of our minds with worry about you." Walter 

continued. "What the hell were you thinking Alex....Christ, were you even 

thinking at all?"

 

The words stung the younger man, and he jerked his head up, his green eyes 

shining with tears just below the surface.

 

"Okay Walter, you don't have to spell it out to me. I screwed up, there I 

said it. I thought I could handle Cardinale on my own, and I would have if 

you two hadn't shown up when you did."

 

"I doubt that Alex." Fox replied gently. "Cardinale had this remember?" he 

showed Alex the gun that Walter had taken off the man earlier.

 

Alex's lips curved up in a humourless smile. Then he dived his hand into 

his own jacket pocket, pulling out Walter's gun. "And I had this. You 

didn't think I was going to face Luis Cardinale down without something to 

back me up, did you?"

 

Walter reached over and picked the weapon up, turning it over in his 

hands. "This is mine." He said coldly. "How the hell did you get your 

hands on it Alex?"

 

"I found it in your desk drawer when I was looking for a pen." He replied.

 

I see." Without another word, Walter stood up and carried both guns back 

into his study, locking them back into the drawer.

 

Alex looked over at Fox. "I really blew it this time didn't I?"

 

Fox gave the unhappy young man a smile. "Well let's just say that Walter 

is less then thrilled with you at the moment."

 

"Then that's it." Alex got to his feet. "I just get my stuff together and 

I'll be gone."

 

Walter came back into the kitchen, arriving just in time to hear Alex 

speak.

 

"If you think you are getting out of it that easy young man, you have 

another thing coming."

 

Alex looked at him for a moment. "I thought that you and Fox would want me 

out of here after everything that happened."

 

"No, we don't want you to leave." Walter told him. "But Alex, we have to 

establish some ground rules for all of us so things like this don't happen 

again."

 

Alex could not believe his ears. "You mean, you want me to stay?"

 

"Yes Alex." Fox replied patiently. "We want you to stay, Walter and I like 

having you here, there was never any question about it."

 

"I see." Alex was stunned, he was so sure that they were both going to 

throw him out on his ass. "I want to stay, if that's okay with you both, 

I...I like it here." His voice was hesitant, unsure, he looked from one to 

the other, trying to gauge their reactions.

 

"We want you to stay Alex." Walter replied. "But we have to make a few 

things clear first, number one, you never just take off like that, 

especially to chase after someone as dangerous as Luis Cardinale. Number 

two, if you have a problem, tell us, simply give Fox and I a chance to 

help you."

 

Ashamed now, Alex nodded, lowering his eyes. Colour had crept into his 

cheeks.

 

"And number three." Walter continued, he reached out and hooked his 

fingers under Alex's chin, forcing the younger man's head up to face him.

 

"If you ever go to my desk drawer and take my gun, I'll kick your ass but 

good, am I making myself clear on this boy?"

 

Gulping, Alex nodded. Satisfied Walter released his hold on him. "Okay 

then, now how about we all go out and grab something to eat, my treat."

 

Alex grinned crookedly. "Sounds good to me." 

 

"Me too." Fox added. "How about that great little Chinese restaurant over 

near Garrett street, they do a terrific chow mein."

 

Alex smiled at both of them, eyes bright, the shadow of misery and 

uncertainty gone. He followed them both out the door, listening to their 

easy banter, finally feeling a part of something, and that feeling felt 

dammed good.

 

In the apple tree the sparrows had finally finished building their nest, 

settling down to the business of laying eggs, raising their young. If they 

noticed the three men laughing and talking as they climbed into their car, 

they gave no sign, intent on their own small existence as they were and 

the world continued to go about it's own business.

More Night Thoughts

Walter and Fox lay sleeping in each others arms, warm and completely at 

peace, fully sated after their love making.

 

Alex lay awake in the next room, staring up at the ceiling, thoughts 

turning lazily over in his mind. He wondered what it would be like to feel 

Walter's strong arms around him, Fox's soft sweet lips against his own. He 

closed his eyes wondering if there was ever a chance for him to find out.

 

What would it be like to be loved, gently, tenderly loved by someone that 

cared about you, not just seeing you as a warm body to fuck.

 

It would be like heaven. Alex decided, a little ache echoing in his heart. 

Then he smiled to himself. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be able to find 

another heaven...

one day...


End file.
